Adventure Magazine Cover — page 55: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

A Pot of Gold The promoter tried to rise. Pete shoved him back into the chair. “Wait a minute. Listen to me.” The old frontiersman fished into his pocket and produced a cartridge with a wicked gash cut deep into its lead bullet. It was a hideous thing. “That's the kind I use. When one of them things hits a man he don’t come back.” Markum clutched the.corners of the table. Perspiration started from his forehead. “Put it down. break your promise. Put it down.” “Promise? What promise?” “Why—why— Wentworth told me. Hall told me. They said you’d promised— you gave your word: e “Yeh. Did you hear the rest of it?” “What rest?” “You were safe—absolute—till the mine started.” Pete chuckled grimly. ‘“‘The mine was started when she was financed and when the timbers came in. You said so yourself.” ‘Markum’s face became livid. “It’s a trap! <A trap!” “Yeh. I was trapped in San Francisco once. Now it’s your turn. Look here!” Pete pulled out the heavy revolver at his side and snapped the chambers out of aline- ment for loading. He thrust the ferocious cartridge into an empty breech and closed the pistol. Then his thumb pulled on the hammer. The hammer sprang back with an omi- nous click. To Markum it sounded like the click of the Gates. ‘‘Now!”’ said Pete. He caught Markum by the ear and jammed the black pistol-muzzle against his nostrils. Pete’s voice was frigid and very level. “VYou’re smart, Mr. Markum. You’re Xe) smart that most of you’s goin’ through that wall to join Jed Hill. “IT ain't goin’ to swap words with you, Mr. Markum. You’re too smart for me. Jest hold that table tight and sniff through your nose.” It was pure ferocity. surprizingly sudden. Markum’s face turned purple-blue. The sparse hair on his head crinkled with sheer horror. He slumped to his knees from weakness. Pete pulled at his ear savagely but couldn’t straighten him. Its results were Put it away. You can’t. 45 “Let me go!’ came the man’s hoarse whisper. “Anything! Anything! Lemme go!” He collapsed and placed imploring arms around Pete’s dusty boots. It was the wreck of a man, drooling to himself on the floor. ‘He was scared into temporary paralysis. A high-tension, high-pressure business man of self-indulgent tendencies had_- re- ceived an ice-water shock. His nerve was shattered. It was not dramatic. It was pitiful, horrible, ludicrous. Pete tried to kick him but couldn’t swing a_ foot back. i “Git up,” roared Pete irritably. “Take your medicine.” *“No! No! No! No! No!’ - Pete reached down and pulled him up- ward, tossing him on the desk like a barley- sack. Reaching back, the old desert-rat produced a bottle of Jones’ Infallible Elixir of Life and Health and held it to Markum’s gurgling lips. To the stupefied Markum the bottle felt like the pistol-muzzle. He screamed and spluttered. “Don’t! My ——,, stopit! Stopit! Wugh! You can have the mine—anything—lemme o!?? = “Heh! You can’t fool with me. You renigged on Tom Hall once. Remember? Yeh? Well, you don’t renig on a forty- five bullet.” “Black and white! Black and white! Oh——” “Yeh. Then you'll wiggle out of it. Come! Quit talkin’. Put your head up.” “T’ll confess!” shrieked Markum. “—— man—it’s murder!” T’'ll sign! PETE appraised him. The man was on the verge of apoplexy. But " would he make good his promises if allowed to go? Pete thought so. No human being would care for such an ordeal again. But Pete wanted to take no chances. He had taken enough in the past. “Will you tell Wentworth and them others that you done us out of our mine? Will you sign it in public? Will you stand by it in San Francisco? Hey?” Markum’s popping eyes showed a faint gleam of calculation; but he noted the ex- pression on Pete’s somber face and gave up. “Yes! Anything!” “Yeh. You will. But that ain’t all. CoMmicboook ©